R&B and pop music are two equally beloved forms of musical expression; however, pop usually caters more towards white audiences while R&B caters more toward African Americans.
From 1940-1950s R&B music flourished by incorporating jazz, rock and roll, gospel, and soul elements. This created Contemporary R&B genre.
What is Pop Music?
Pop music can generally be defined as rhythmic and direct, with an emphasis on melody and harmony. Pop is more commercialized than other genres, with artists often working with record labels to promote their songs.
Pop songs typically last two to five minutes long and feature lyrics about love or relationships. Most pop songs are composed by professional songwriters or composers and then given to singers to perform live.
Pop music can be defined by its use of an easily rememberable melody and emphasis on rhythm; repetition of musical material (often verse-chorus structures); and heavily influenced by African American traditions such as R&B, soul, and gospel music.
Some pop music incorporates elements of different styles, including rock, country, dance, urban and Latin music – its widespread appeal being one of its hallmarks.
Pop music has long used auto-tuned vocals as one of its signature characteristics, often to great effect in artists such as Beyonce and Christina Aguilera who use these vocal effects live but have very distinct voices from what their autotuned versions sound like live. This phenomenon can give rise to very dissimilar versions of their voices compared to what you would find online or at live concerts.
Pop artists typically perform fewer live shows than musicians in other genres due to the fact that most pop records are created and distributed by record labels, with the latter’s goal of selling as many copies before it goes out of style.
Pop performers frequently work with a team of writers that contribute to their musical development, such as musicians or other creative professionals.
Pop songs writers frequently experiment with other musical genres such as rap or reggae to add depth and diversity to their music and make it more appealing for listeners from different genres. This can make writing pop songs more rewarding overall!
Pop music’s lyrics often reflect personal experiences that resonate with its performers, often captured in what are known as lyric videos that feature song lyrics as part of the video soundtrack.
What is R&B Music?
R&B music has its roots in African American culture and remains highly influential today. Its soulful vocals and strong backbeat distinguish it from other music types.
Starting as an expressive musical style in urban Black communities across America in the 1940s, Jazz originated as an art form that eventually helped break down race barriers in America.
At this time, America was experiencing rapid change; many southerners moved northward to new cities from the south, helping bring African American music styles into mainstream popular culture. These music genres were initially known as race music but later came to be known as rhythm and blues.
At its onset, R&B music included jazz-influenced instrumentation such as pianos and horns backed by drums and double basses; guitarist-based instruments were often also employed. Some R&B artists took their cue from gospel or blues traditions while others sought to develop a fresh sound which appealed to contemporary audiences.
As the 1970s began, R&B musicians increasingly paid attention to their lyrical content and experimented with syncopated rhythms and more Afrocentric motifs; these innovations led directly to funk and disco music becoming part of R&B genre.
R&B can trace its development back to another major influence: the Great Migration. Starting in 1910, large numbers of African American families relocated to large urban centers throughout America – these communities hosted various music styles which helped shape its modern history and eventually R&B music itself.
R&B can be divided into two periods, from classical R&B in the 1940s and 60s through contemporary R&B that began in the 1980s and continues today. While classical R&B drew heavily on gospel and blues influences, contemporary R&B combined those influences with pop beats and culture influences for its sound.
R&B music can cover a wide variety of styles, such as dance, hip hop and funk. Technology has had an important role in its creation as digital instruments and MIDI software have played key roles. R&B can easily become an eclectic style enjoyed by people of any age group.
What is Hip-Hop Music?
Hip-hop music originated in New York City during the 1970s. This form of musical expression can often be identified by strong beats, heavy bass tones, and rapping as key characteristics.
Hip hop music has long been one of the top selling genres in America and continues to have an enormous influence over other forms of musical expression. Famous hip hop artists include Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem, and Lil Wayne.
DJing is an integral component of hip hop culture, mixing percussive beats with dance songs to produce new sounds. New York DJ Kool Herc was responsible for popularizing this style in the 70s; he also helped shape what later became known as hip hop rapping style.
Rap music consists of rhymes and poetry set to a musical beat, often delivered freestyle or written by an MC. Additionally, its style may draw influence from other forms of music like funk or rock.
Although popular music, there have been various controversies surrounding its profane content and this has caused difficulty when airing it on radio or TV stations or music videos.
Hip-hop culture’s origins can be traced to gangs in the Bronx who adopted graffiti and rapping as part of their lifestyle, sparking an international movement.
Hip-hop music experienced exponential growth throughout the 1990s, leading to an intense rivalry between East Coast and West Coast gangsta rappers that ended with Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G being killed mysteriously.
Kanye West and Eminem both had major impacts in the early 2000s when their production and lyricism shifted away from gangsta rap to more mainstream genres; their music began finding an audience in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston and Detroit rather than only on East and West coast venues.
This new generation of artists is distinguished by their diverse influences and creativity, producing music that touches all areas of American life from dance floors to politics to fashion.
At the turn of this century, internet streaming services unleashed an explosion of artists, mixtapes, and experimentation. Today there are artists across every genre who utilize hip-hop as part of their sound – yet its future remains largely unpredictable – but one thing remains certain: hip-hop will live on.
What is Rap Music?
Rap music, with its roots attributed to African-American street culture, is an increasingly popular form of popular music that features stylized rhythmic music accompanied by spoken lyrics that address urban living issues and often explore various social themes.
Rap music comes in various styles and incarnations; each possessing their own characteristics and styles. Some forms are more aggressive or complex lyrically than others; nevertheless, rap has become an immensely popular music genre in both America and worldwide.
Gangsta rap is one of the most prevalent styles of rap music today. This style often incorporates violent and gritty lyrics that may be hard for listeners to digest, often discussing topics such as violence, gangs and crime. Gangsta rappers frequently address such subjects.
However, this subgenre of rap also features songs with more peaceful or even romantic themes. This genre has grown increasingly mainstream during the 2000s; Eminem in particular has made his mark by exploring subjects not usually associated with gangsta rap.
Pop-rap is another widely popular style. This genre combines hip hop beats with strong melodic hooks to form an enjoyable musical composition, often more relaxed than street level hip hop but with some harder lyrics.
DJ Kool Herc of Jamaica first introduced rap to America during the 1970s by playing two turntables by hand and manipulating sound to create a more powerful style of rap music. Additionally, he introduced breaks, long percussive periods designed to encourage dancing (commonly known as breakdancing or b-boying).
Though many hip hop songs feature drum beats as the primary structure, others do not. When this occurs, an MC might use other forms of music such as snare drums or drum loops to punctuate his or her verses.
Some rap songs include live instruments such as bass guitar or trumpet. A few even use samples from jazz or soul music.
As well as rapping, other vocal elements found in rap music include singing, spoken word, autotune and ad-libs. Most rap songs contain breaks that encourage dancing; you can find these breaks both classic rap and modern hip-hop.